When my wife and I first married, we started a tradition of recording Christmas songs every year. Sometimes it’s just one song and other years, we’ve recorded as many as five. We’ve kept it up for 11 years now, totaling 24 songs. This year, we recorded “Little Drummer Boy.” I sang lead vocals, played acoustic guitar, bass, mandolin, tamborine, and cajon. My wife, Melissa sang harmony vocals. Our three kids joined in and played cajon and sang backing vocals. It was a fun song to put together. I hope you enjoy it and have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

A few week’s ago on Episode 24, I shared some of the favorite Christmas songs my wife and I have recorded over the years. I promised there were more songs on the way coming this year and so now, here they are.

This first one is folky/bluegrass take on Angels We Have Heard On High. I sang and played all the instruments and my wife, Melissa, sung harmony.

Next, we changed things up and did a slow, serious version of Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel sung by Melissa. The instruments include acoustic guitar, organ, a ride cymbal played with brushes and a cajon, which we altered to sound extra deep, echoey and distorted, sort of like a low, rumbly explosion. In fact, I recommend listening to this with either headphones and a system with a fair amount of bass.